Thierno Barry Rescues Everton with Late Equaliser Against Leeds
Thierno Barry's excellent finish salvaged a crucial Premier League point for Everton against a dominant Leeds United side at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Senegalese forward cancelled out James Justin's first-half opener with a superb near-post flick, marking his fourth goal in five league games and continuing his impressive recent form.
Leeds' Dominant First Half Display
Daniel Farke's visitors showed no signs of pressure despite Nottingham Forest and West Ham closing the gap over the weekend, producing a commanding first-half performance that could have yielded more than James Justin's well-taken opener. Leeds carved open Everton's defence with flowing moves down their right flank, constantly confusing the home side with their midfield movement and Brenden Aaronson's intelligent positioning.
The breakthrough came as no surprise after sustained pressure. A sweeping move down Leeds' right saw Ilia Gruev, James Garner and Vitalii Mykolenko all beaten in challenges before Anton Stach delivered a perfect low cross that evaded both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and James Tarkowski, rolling perfectly for Justin at the back post. The wing-back placed a clinical finish beyond the exposed Jordan Pickford to give Leeds a deserved lead.
Moyes' Tactical Changes Turn the Tide
Everton were a distant second best until David Moyes made significant changes at half-time, introducing Jarrad Branthwaite for his first appearance of an injury-plagued season and bringing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall back from injury. The Everton manager matched Farke's 3-5-2 formation, replacing the anonymous Dwight McNeil and Harrison Armstrong.
The switches had the desired effect, with Everton enjoying far more possession and finally troubling Leeds' defence. Their Senegal international duo combined to stretch the visiting defence for the first time when Iliman Ndiaye took Idrissa Gueye's pass and cut inside Pascal Struijk, only for Sebastiaan Bornauw to make an important block.
Barry's Moment of Quality
The previously unemployed Karl Darlow came to Leeds' rescue when tipping away an improvised effort from Barry, who attempted to curl a shot inside the far corner with the outside of his foot. However, the Leeds keeper was powerless to prevent Barry's equaliser with Everton's second shot on target.
The home side's constant probing earned its reward when Dewsbury-Hall released Gueye down the right. The defensive midfielder played a low, inviting cross to the near post where Barry stole in ahead of Bornauw to flick a superb finish into the roof of Darlow's net, showing his delight with an exuberant celebration.
Emotional Pre-Match Tributes
Everton marked the recent death of Tommy Wright with a period of applause before kick-off. Wright, considered one of the club's finest full-backs, won the FA Cup with his boyhood team in 1966, the league championship in 1970, and represented England at the World Cup in Mexico that same year.
There was also a presentation to Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye to celebrate their triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal. Their return was well-timed for Moyes, particularly with Jack Grealish facing a lengthy spell out with a fractured foot, but despite Ndiaye's trickery on the left, the newly-crowned champions were unable to spark an immediate improvement in Everton's insipid home form.
Missed Opportunities and Woodwork Strikes
Dominic Calvert-Lewin received a mixed reception as he faced his former club for the first time since leaving on a free transfer last summer, with more applause than half-hearted boos for the striker who played a key role in preserving Everton's top-flight status. The former Everton forward was centimetres away from doubling Leeds' advantage moments after Justin's opener, connecting well with an awkward delivery from Jayden Bogle only to see his attempt cannon off the post from close range.
In a repeat of the first half, Everton struck the woodwork moments after finding the net. Barry was again involved when breaking clear of the Leeds defence, with his cross eventually finding its way to Gueye who, from the edge of the area, placed a shot against the crossbar.
The draw leaves both teams with work to do in their respective Premier League campaigns, but Everton will be particularly grateful for Barry's intervention after being outplayed for large periods of the contest.
